Bloody Diamond
by Kalamantige
Summary: Leorio was compelled to venture into a vampire-hunting job by a nine-year old ginger, Amber.


**Note:** This is inspired by a short story "Sit the Dead" from the anthology book "Teeth: Vampire Tales".

**Warning:** There could be grammar and spelling errors but will edit soon. Corrections are welcome though. Please read and review and I hope you enjoy reading.

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**Chapter 01**

**"Amber"**

_Amber saw her sister hovering at the ceiling of her parent's bedroom. Her sister looked quite dead and scary with sharp teeth, dark and deep dead eyes and gray skin and sharp pointy nails. There was blood stain on her neck down to the skirt of her night gown. She was just hovering there five feet above the floor as if waiting for something or looking for something._

_She prayed, in her terrified mental voice, that her sister would not notice her hiding in the closet. She will definitely be in so much trouble if she did see her._

_The door of her parents' room suddenly flung open and people from outside the room started shooting at her sister with guns and spears and other sharp objects that could hurt Amber's sister. But Amber's sister was already dead and she was not sure if her sister feels any pain anymore. Amber saw her fly towards those people. She heard some screams and gun shots and of other metallic clanks that seemed endless._

_Amber closed her eyes and decided that she will not come out of the closet until everything quite down. But suddenly it was quiet. There was a slow footsteps walking towards her closet. Amber covered her mouth and begun to cry hot tears silently. The footsteps were closer until they stopped in front of the closet door. She could almost see its shadow. It was going to open closet._

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"I wonder how are the guys doing?" Leorio thought. He had spent nine hours of studying that day in the bedroom of his apartment. It has been only few months since he parted ways with his friends-Kirapika, Gon, and Killua, and now he misses them already.

Leorio looked at his wristwatch dazedly. It was only 5:00 p.m.  
"Maybe I should take a break and grab some snacks," he decided. He put down the book with the title "Clinical Anatomy" on top of the other medical books accumulated messily on his study desk. Leorio didn't bother turning off his desk lamp when he left his room.

Leorio ordered an espresso and three pieces of chicken pot pie wraps, which he bought by his Hunter's License in the Starbucks coffee shop which was just a couple of blocks away from his apartment. He also bought a newspaper on the way and decided to read it for a bit in the said coffee shop and let his food wait for a bit on his table.

When he was finally going to take a bite on one of his chicken pot pie wraps, he noticed a child sitting on the other side of his table. Her reddish hair looked like glowing because of the tangerine sunset ray that passed through the shop's window and landed on her head. She got noticeable freckles on her cheeks and nose. She looked a little unclean though. The stains on her long-sleeve shirt and shorts seemed to indicate that she had been playing at the bushes and mud.

Leorio thought that this kid must be one of the unfortunate street children neglected by their parents and left to beg and wonder into the streets on their own.

The medical student noted how attentively the kid stared at him with her round green eyes. Those green orbs reminded him of his blonde friend. Leorio stared back at her for a long silent moment (as if they were in a staring contest) until he finally decided to give his two remaining chicken pot pie wraps to her. He pushed the plate of wraps towards her and reached out a fork. The red-hair kid hesitated for a bit but took the fork eventually. Leorio ordered a strawberry and cream drink for the kid and watched her eat quietly.

Leorio noticed that the kid seemed to know a little bit of table manners despite being a street child. Her hand would gracefully hold the fork and would carefully cut a piece of chicken pot pie wrap, poke it and carefully put it in her mouth. She munched it quietly, too.

"Thanks, mister, I owe you one," the red-haired girl said.  
"My name is not 'Mister', kid." Leorio replied. "I'm Leorio, and you can call me big brother Leorio if you want. 'Mister' makes me feel old."  
"You can call me Amber." She replied helpfully.  
"Well Amber…" Leorio announced, "After you're done eating, you should go home. Where are your parents?"  
Amber didn't reply but instead, she bowed her head and quietly continued to eat her chicken wrap.

Leorio shook his head disapprovingly as he opened the newspaper again. Poor girl she must have had it tough that she ended up in the streets. Such a sad fate indeed.

Before Leorio left the shop, he left a couple of thousand gennies on the table for the girl so she could buy what she needs in the future. He prayed that Amber will be blessed with a good fate in the future. Although he admitted to himself painstakingly that he wished he could do more for her. But he got studies to do and he cannot afford to let a little girl into his apartment because God knows what adult stuffs were in there that shouldn't be seen by minors. Not to mention he was not currently ready to compromise his privacy and adjust his lifestyle just because a young stranger suddenly stumbles into him out of nowhere.

Leorio noticed that someone was following him as he walks in the street. He stopped walking, craned over his shoulder and saw Amber behind him with her huge and round green eyes attached on him. He find her eyes adorable but the stare and the fact that she followed him made him uneasy.  
"Kid, I suggest to head to the police station. The authorities can help you more than me." Leorio said.  
"No, they can't." Amber replied with a frown.  
"What?"  
"They cannot help me. They're not strong enough. But maybe you can help me since you are a hunter. Right?"

Leorio looked around him cautiously, worried that someone near might have had heard Amber said out loud _that_ he is a hunter. He cannot afford a chance of getting robbed off his hunter's license or his hunter's license stolen by those who were likely to do it just by being aware that there was a licensed hunter in town. He walked closer to the red-haired kid.

"Kid—"

"It's Amber." The girl corrected.

"Amber, how did you know I'm a hunter?"

"I saw your hunter's license card back in the Starbucks. One of my Daddy's bodyguards has one, too." Leorio thought that maybe he should be more careful when using his Hunter's License card in public.

"So, you got parents?"

"I'm not sure if they are still alive. And….and there are people after me." Amber's voice trembled.

Leorio saw Amber's eyes moistened. She was trying her best not to cry. He realized then that maybe there's something more in the kid that he could not leave being ignored, maybe something that cannot be solved mere authorities.

"Okay. Come with me and tell me more about it." Leorio said.

…to be continued.


End file.
